A cloudburst has hit near the base camp of the holy shrine of Amarnath in the South Kashmir region during the evening hours. So far at least 13 people have lost their lives and many are reported missing. This came in just a couple of days after a person drowned while four others were missing after a cloudburst triggered by heavy rains and flash floods in Manikaran in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
This is the Monsoon month and these phenomena get triggered even with small variability. They are difficult to detect as there are no observation platforms with a close network be with weather radar or visual observers.
From the weather point of view, Monsoon Trough is far too the south, and irregular weather activities over the hills are bound to happen. Now, there is also a Western Disturbance which will pull the Monsoon trough to its normal position.
Due to these weather features, we have to be watchful for such cloudburst and other extreme weather activities over the hilly states of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in the coming days.